CHAP. I. Of the Monastique profession in general.

THe Monks do generally profess works of Supererogation, that is, to do more good works, and more perfect, then those which God commands in his Law; that is, they profess to do works more excel­lent then to love, and serve God with all their heart, and with all their strength; for it is that which God commands in his Law. [Page 2] Therefore they serve God with more than all their strength; they are more vertuous than God would have them to be. Moreover they would make us believe, that by their profession of austerity, and severe Disci­pline, they do more satisfactory works, and suffer more punishment than their sins de­serve, and that the overplus serves for o­thers. For the Pope gathers this overplus into the Church-treasury, and distributes it to people by his indulgences.

By these works of supererogation the Monks pretend to attain unto a supereminent degree of celestial glory, far above those small Saints who contented themselves to fulfill the Law of God, without doing any more. This degree of glory is called by the Doctors Aureola. To which degree Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, David, &c. have not attained; for they never did works of supererogation.

CHAP. II. Of the begging Fryars, and their vows; and of the difference twixt them, and the Jesuits.

THere are four sorts of begging Fryars, viz. the Minors (called in France Cord [...]liers) the Preachers (who are also calle [...] [Page 3] Jacobins, and Dominicans) the Carmelites, and the Augustines. They bind themselves by vow to three things. They vow poverty, so that they possess nothing in particular, although they abound in common. Also they vow never to marry This they call the vow of Chastity, as if there could be no chastity in a married estate. The third vow, is the vow of obedience, whereby they do not only oblige themselves to keep the Laws of God, but most exactly to observe the Rule of that Saint who is their Patron, and the Constitu­tions of their Order, and to obey the com­mands of the Guardian, or Superior of their Convent, and to obey the General of their Order, and above all the Pope.

The Jesuits beg not, Ribaden ex vitâ Ig­natis, l [...]. 3. and reject the auste­rities of the Minors, and will not be called Monks. They are well shod, warmly clad, and lie on good beds. And they that are cal­led Fathers (who are the chief of their Col­ledg) have their Table furnished with the choicest meats. They labour with very great industry to gather wealth, although Ignatius Loyola, their Founder, did beg. They vow never to marry. But their chief vow, and which they observe most strictly, is the vow of blind obedience, whereby they are obli­ged to obey their Superior in all that is com­manded, [Page 4] without enquiring whether the thing be good, or evil: for they will always have it presupposed that the thing is good. This obedience hath cost many Kings and Prin­ces their lives, particularly, that excellent Prince William of Nassaw, Prince of Orange, Grandfathet to the Duke of Bovillon who was killed at Delft by Balthazar Gerard of the Franck County, excited thereunto by the Jesuits of Treves. His process and exami­nation are to be seen at Delft in Holland.

They say indeed, that we must do nothing contrary to the commands of God; but they permit not those who are commanded by the Superior, to examine whether his command be conformable to the commands of God. For (as Pope Julius the third, in the Bull which Ribadenera inserts in the life of Igna­tius, saith) Christum in Praeposito praesentem agnoscunt. They acknowledg Jesus Christ to be present in the person of the Superior.

The Capucins are more moderate; for they oblige themselves to obey their Superiour in all things except sin. For example; if the Superior should command a Capucin to plant Cole-worts with the leaves downward, and the root upward, or to lick up the spittle of another Capucin, or to plant a straw, a [...]d to water it untill it grows, the Monk is bound [Page 5] to obey these commands, such actions being most proper to try the obedience of the Mi­nors.

CHAP. III. Of the excellence, and prerogatives of each Order of the begging Fryars.

EAch Order of the begging Monkes hath some priviledges and Prerogatives to render it recommendable. The Carmelites have this priviledg above the other Orders, that they remain in Purgatory but untill the next Saturday after their death.

St. Antonin, who hath written the life of St. Dominick, the Patron of the Preaching Fryars, tells us, that St. Dominick, being once in a trance, saw the heavens opened, and a multitude of Monks in celestial glory, but saw not one of his own Order amongst them, whereupon this blessed Saint wept bit­terly. But Jesus Christ comforted him, by shewing him a multitude of Jacobin Fryars that were hid under the Virgin Maries kirtle.

Not one of any other Order ever had this honour. It is observable that this Antonin, Archbishop of Florence, was Canonized by Pope Clement the 7th. An. Dom. 1523. and [Page 6] that in the Bull of Canonization the said Pope approves of, and authorizeth the do­ctrine of this Antonin, and gives great Indul­gences to those who shall visit his reliques. The same is recited by Theodorick in the life of St. Dominick, as Surius reports.

But the Minors surpass all the other Or­ders in the greatness of their Indulgences, granted by the Popes to St. Francis's Order. Read a book entituled, The treasure o [...] the Indulgences of St. Francis 's Cord, Printed at Rouen by Tho. Dare in the Jew's street, near the Palace, 1614. and you shall find these words in p. 119. Item, every day untill the nativity of our Lady, there is eight hundred sixty five thousand, and one hundred sixty two years, and one hundred days of indulgence, and a remission of the third part of sins, granted to divers Churches. The Je­suits laugh at this, and care not to obtain of he Pope such Indulgences.

This may be seen in the book of the Indul­gences of the frater­nity of the Cord, prin­ted at Pa­ris by John le Bouc at St. Hillarys Mount.Pope Sixtus 5. Anno. 1586. on May 7, graunted to those of the fraternity of St. Fran­cis's Cord, who shall say five Pater nosters, & as many Ave Maries, on Palm-Saturday, and on the feast of St. John the Evangelist, and that before Porta Latina, the pardon of all their sins, and power to free one soul out Purgatory. And these priviledges are con­firmed by the letters Patents of the same Pope, dated at St. Marks. Aug. 9. 1587.

But the most memorable Indulgence is that which (as the Rosary of Bernardin saith) St. Francis obtained for the Church of Sancta Maria Angelorum, Francis was born in this Ci­ty, which is in the Dutchy of Spoleta. called Portiancula in the City of Assise (viz.) that all they who shall go into that Church shall receive the re­mission of all their sins. However, Jesus Christ would not grant this to St. Francis, but on condition that he should get a confir­mation of this Indulgence from the Pope. Antonin. in vita Do­minici c. 1. sect. 1. Sta­tum regula­rem sub Di­daco Epis­copo appre­hendit ut alterum baptismum Th. 2. 2 q. ult. art. 3. & in 4. sent. dist. 4. q. 3. art 3. sect. ad ter­tium. Bell. lib. de Mo­nachis. c. 8. sect. de­ni (que) Eman. Sa. Aphor. in verb. Religio sex alae. eorum sunt s [...]x perfectiones qui bus ornatus suit beatus Franciscus.

This also is one of the prerogatives of St. Francis's Order, and of St. Dominick's Or­der, that the habit of St. Francis, or St. Domi­nick is as good as a second Baptism, and that by vertue of this habit all our sins past are cancelled. And this is the reason why many Princes and persons of quality on their death-beds have been clad in the habit of a Cordelier, or Capucin, that their sins may be pardoned.

Of all the Patrons of the Monastique Or­ders no one is exalted to so high a degree of celestial glory as St. Francis; (for he is placed in the highest degree of Angelical glory.) The Church of Rome makes nine Or­ders of Angels differing in glory. The high­est Order is that of the Seraphins. The se­cond [Page 8] is the Order of the Cherubins, &c. But St. Francis is placed in the Order of the Seraphins, above the Cherubins, as St. Anto­nin tels us in the life of St. Francis, in the first Chapter, where he saith, that those words of the 18. Psalm, He rode upon the Cheru­bins, and did flie upon the wings of the winds, are spoken not only of Jesus Christ, but may also be applied to St. Francis, who is exalted above the Cherubins. And in the same Chapter, he saith, that the Six wings of the Seraphins are the Six perfections wherewith St. Francis was adorned. In this high degree of Glory, he sees eight Classes of Angels, and all the Saints, farr beneath himself.

St. Bonaventure, a General of St. Fran­cis's Order, and a Cardinal, saith the like, as I shall shew you hereafter.

De Verbo­rum signif. in b. Aliud mite Cor, et docile, terra bona suscepit, hoc est fratrum Minorum religio.Pope Nicolas 3. in the Decretal Exiit qui Seminat saith, that when Jesus Christ speakes of the fourth prrt of the seed which fell on good ground, by this good fourth part is meant the Religion of the Minors.

In the same place, this Pope, commend­ing the poverty and perfection of St. Fran­cis, observes he had no bagg, and that he findes not those actions of infirmity which were in Jesus Christ, Christus e­git etiam infima, sicut interdum ut in sugae paetet, & in loculis. who had two actions [Page 9] of infirmity (viz.) he had a bagg, and he fled. In these two things Holy Francis sur­mounted Jesus Christ.

CHAp. IV. Of the words Minor and Minime; and of the observation of the whole Rule.

THe Monks of St. Francis's Order are cal­led Minors, that is to say, Less than others, in token of Humility. But there is sprung up another Order of Monkes, whereof St. Francis of Paula, a Calabrian, is Patron, and Author. This Saint lived in the time of Lewis 11. who dyed Anno Domini 1483. The Monks of this Order not thinking it hu­mility enough to be called Minors, call themselves Minimes, that is to say Least of all. The Life of these Monkes is altogether Quadragesimal, that is a continual Lent; By vertue of this title they pretend a right to begging, because Jesus Christ in the 10. of Matthew saith, Whosoever shall give to drink to one of the least of these, or to one of these Minimes, a cup of cold water onely, shall not lose his reward. However, this hinders them not from receiving an alms of wine, although Jesus Christ speaks of cold water onely.

It is observable, that in the Masse of th [...] said St. Francis of Paula, which is celebrated on the second of April, the Priest reads aloud this verse of the Gospel: Quo [...] uni ex Minimis fecistis, mihi fecistis. Alleluja. What you have done to one of thes [...] Minimes, you have done it to me. For the presuppose that Jesus Christ will speak o [...] them in the day of the general Judgment This Masse, which is peculiar to the Orde [...] of the Minimes, they have caused to b [...] printed.

But to return to the Fryars Minors, ther [...] are divers sorts of them (viz) the Obse [...] vantines, the Recollects, the Capucins, &c There was a time when the Cordeliers onel [...] were in request; but afterward these Cordeliers giving themselves liberty in dive [...] things, and dispencing with themselves fro [...] the entire observation of St. Francis's Rule and of divers constitutions of the Order the Capucins sprung up, who now a day [...] have the esteem and admiration of the people, professing to observe the Rule entirel [...] although they do it not. For the Rule [...] St. Francis commands the Fryars Minors [...] labor with their hands, which command th [...] Capucins observe not.

CHAP. V. Of the Austerity, and Discipline of the Capu­cins: and first of their habits.

THe Capucins go bare-foot, and bare­legg'd, onely they wear Sandals, or Apo­stolical shooes, which are nothing else but soles of shooes so tyed over the feet that the feet appear. They weare onely a Gown and a sharp pointed hood: the other sorts of Fryars Minors weare a round hood in forme of a Child's biggin.

They weare no shirt s, onely they have drawers, which they let down when they whip themselves. To weare two garments, or to have stockings, and shooes, or to be girt with a leather girdle, and not with a cord, is counted a mortal sin. And yet the Legends of St. Francis, written by St. Bonaventure, St. Antonine, Bonaven. apud Suri­um pag. 34. Antonin, pag. 722 and Jacobus de Voragine, say that St. Francis did somtimes wear stockings and shooes, and was girt with a leather girdle.

In this Cord the Capucins knit great knots for an Ornament. All this is done in humi­lity, and there is great merit in it.

They never put off their Garments ex­cept [Page 12] it be to take the vermine out of them, or to patch them. Yea they will in humili­ty put patches on a new garment. Their garment consists of three pieces, in honor of the Trinity: To be clad in the habit does a [...] much good as Baptism: I have seen in the houses of Princes, and Gentlemen of quali­ty, little Children of six or seven years old clad in Capucins habit. Mothers do this, to imprint on their Childrens hearts a love and reverence to the Order of St. Francis. If a Capucin should die without his Cord, he would be esteemed to have dyed without St. Francis's habit, and an evil censure would be past upon him.

CHAP. VI. Divers austerities, and observations of the Capucins, as well those to which they are obliged by their Rule, and by the Consti­tutions of their Order, as those to which they oblige themselves by voluntary devo­tion.

BY the constitutions of the Minor Fryars, to ride on hors-back, except in case of sickness, or urgent necessity, is a mortal sin; although St. Francis did often ride upon an Ass.

It is also a mortal sin for a Monk to have in particular, and without the Superior's knowledg, any thing worth above thirty pence: and if he should die without revealing it to the Superior, he is deprived of Ecclesiastical burial. You may see this in the Declarati­ons of the Rule.

They are not permitted to be Godfathers, nor to present a child to baptism: this they account scandalous, and St. Francis's Rule forbids it.

It is an ordinary custom among the Capu­cins, to send to women in travel, little pieces of St. Francis's wood, or to cause them to swallow the powder of it in some holy water, to facilitate their delivery. This St. Fran­cis's wood is the wood of a great Oak, which was once the staffe which he used when he walked abroad. This staff (out of reverence) he would not carry into the Church, but pitching it into the ground at the Church­door it took root, and became a great tree.

In the Choire of the Capucin's Churches there stands a vessel full of sand, or lime, into which they spit. Divers Capucins who have left the Order, and have been eye­witnesses, do assure me that they have seen some Capucins lick up the spittle which (through heedlesness) hath faln beside the [Page 14] vessel, and in mortification to swallow it. This is accounted a great vertue. They have also seen the Superior command some Monks to lick up the spittle of the rest, in humility, and mortification.

It is a frequent custome among the Ca­pucins, to prick themselves, and with thei [...] blood to sign vows to the Virgin Mary, and to carry the papers whereon these vows are written, about with them. This is taken fo [...] grand devotion.

They lie in their cloaths upon boards, and a little straw, over which there is a linnen­cloth spread, and nailed to the boards.

They make three Lent: two by necessity of precept, and the third by voluntary devotion. This St. Francis's Rule teacheth them. Also they fast twelve days before Whitsontide, and on all the Vigils of the Virgin, of the Apostles, and of the Saints of their Order.

They give to whom they please, certain Letters, which they call Letters of Filiation, authorized by the Pope, whereby they give to those who have them, as great a share of all their austerities, penances, fasts, whippings, &c. as if they were members of their Or­der. So that a Merchant or a Gentleman, by virtue of these Letters of Filiation hath as real­ly [Page 15] a part in their merits and satisfactions, as if they were his own, for so they say God will have it, and that he takes this for pay­ment.

They never go out of the Convent, with­out asking leave of the Superior on their knees.

The young Monks dare not speak to the elder, but on their knees; and when they have spoken, they make a very low bow.

The Capucins give to people little tickets, wherein the name of Jesus is written, to cure the Ague or Fever. Herein they differ from the Augustine Monks, who give a little loaf without leaven on St. Nicholas Talen­tin's day, who was a Saint of their Order. They suppose that these loaves have a great vertue against diseases.

Their Constitutions forbid them to shave themselves with a Rasor, but they are per­mitted to trim themselves with Scissars. And they dare not keep a Rasor in their Convents, except it be to scarifie their shoulders after the use of cupping-glasses.

By the same Constitutions they are forbid­den the use of spices; and to beg eggs, and cheese.

CHAP. VII. Of the Whippings of the Capucins.

BY the Constitutions of the Order, the Capucins whip themselves three time [...] a week, at two a Clock after midnight, (viz.) at two after Sunday night, after Tuesday night, and after Thursday night. In the winter they whip themselves at half an hour past five in the evening, for fear of too great a cold in the night. They whip themselves on the back and buttocks.

Bonav. vitae Francisci pag. 38. Antonin. 3 parte Chro. tit. 24. c. 2. sect. 1. Quod vir Dei sentiens veste depo stia, chord â durissimâ se verbera­bat, dicens, Eja frater a sine, &c.This they do in imitation of St. Francis, of whom St. Bonaventure, and St. Antonine write, that being one day tickled with carnal temp­tations, he lasht himself very severely with his Cord, saying thus to himself: Eja frater asine, decet te manere, & sic subire flagellum; that is, Go to, brother asse, thou must stay, and be whipt thus. Ibi. Sed cùm tentatio nequaquam discederet, foras exiens cùm hyems esset in magnam nivis congeriem se nudum immersit, &c. Antonin. tit. 24. cap. 2, sect. 1. But his temptations conti­nued for all this, and therefore, to subdue them, he stript himself stark naked, and plunged himself over head and ears in the snow, and made seven snow-balls, saying, [Page 17] The biggest is thy wife, and these two are thy two daughters, &c. The same is recited by James de Voragine in his Legend of St. Fran­cis. And St. Antonine saith, that he often plunged himself in a place full of ice and snow, usque ad illiciti motus recessum, that is, untill the immodest motion of his secret parts ceased.

Besides this whiping, Antonin. c. 1. Sustinuic multa fla­gella à dae­monibus, &c. and the torments which St. Francis inflicted on his own body, the devils whipt him often, and very rudely: but the blessed Saint gave demonstrations that he received all this with joy. Bonaventure saith, that one day the devils beat him so sorely that they left him half dead. Bona. apud Surium p. 40 & 41. Daemones verbera­tum semi­necem re­linquunt.

But to returning to the whipping of the Capucins, before they begin this pleasant exercise, each one prepares himself for it, and with his whip drives his fellow to a con­venient distance from him, for fear of stri­king him. Being all ready, the Superior knocks with his hand on a bench, and pre­sently all the candles are blown out, and he that wears the cope that week begins to sing the Psalm Miserere, and they all follow, whipping themsemselves while they sing. Then they sing De Profundis, then the an­cient Salve Regina, and then the ancient Christus factus est obediens pr [...] nobis. Du­ring [Page 18] all this singing (which lasts about half an hour) the whipping continues in such sort that the blood trickles down. And they make a terrible noise with their whips The singing being ended, the Superior knock [...] his seat with his foot, and so the whipping ceaseth.

This discipline is very terrible; for many times you shall see the place all bloody and in great Convents where there are 60 or 80. Capucins, there is such a noise o [...] Monks singing with open mouth, and ma­king their whips clack, that you would thin [...] the house were falling. This whipping is [...] just action, for these fathers deserve it well▪

In the holy week they use this disciplin [...] every day, but they redouble it on Good-fri­day, for on that day instead of one Miserer [...] they sing three, and the whipping continue all the while.

On the Vigiles of the feasts of our Lady and of the other solemn feasts, and on ever [...] friday of the month of March they, whi [...] themselves in the dining-room before din­ner. But this whipping lasts no longer tha [...] while they are singing of one Miserere, whic [...] is the 51. Psalm, which ends in vitulos Hence comes the proverb to be whipt fro [...] Miserere unto vitulos. This whipping, whic [...] [Page 19] is milder, and shorter than at other times, is exercised on the shoulders onely, and not on the buttocks.

This being ended, they eat bread and pot­tage on their knees in honour of the Virgin Mary. Their night whippings are exercised on their buttocks; but the day whippings on the shoulders only.

In the morning these poor Capucins go abroad to beg, with carved buttocks and embroidered backs, carrying a Wallet on the shoulder. They beg from door to door; one gives them bread, another a shoulder of Mutton, another a Leg of a Capon, another puts some Wine into their bottle, which is very large, and of a great capacity.

CHAP. VIII. Of the Penances of the Capucins.

THe penances of the Capucins, for pu­nishing of a fault, are imposed in the di­ning-room, which place serves also for a Chap­ter-house.

In this place before dinner the Monks on their knees wait for the superior, or Guardian; who being come, the most ancient of those who are to receive penance, puts off his gar­ment [Page 20] from his shoulders, clasps his hands, and holds down his head, as low as his knees, accusing himself of sins committed against the Constitutions. They do not accuse them­selves for want of a firm affiance in the pro­mises of the Gospel: but ordinarily those things which the penitent confesseth, are tri­fles; for, he confesseth either that he hath talked too loud, or walked too fast, or gaz'd about too much, or hath scratcht himself while he was at prayers, or hath broken an earthen pot, or the like. This confession they call the fault. Then come the rest, and make such another confession.

As these confessions are absurd, so are the penances imposed by the Superior on the penitent as ridiculous. He that is accused in the Chapter-house to have broken silence, is condemned to take a short staff in his mouth, and to hold it betwixt his teeth until the Superior say to him, It is enough. In Italian he says Basta. Somtimes they have a long pole, which five or six of them hold between their teeth, and so walk up and down with it while the others are at dinner, who must take heed that they do not laugh.

If any one hath whipt himself too gent­ly, he is condemned to whip himself publick­ly upon the shoulders with a fox-tail in the [Page 21] presence of those that are at dinner.

If any one hath talked too much, he is con­demned to draw a Cross on the ground wi [...]h his tongue.

Sometimes for a penance they make a Monk eat with a Cat in the same dish. And others are made to suck a flint dipt in vinegar.

Others rise from their knees to drink, and as often as they drink they say to their bre­thren who are at dinner, before they drink, Brethren, pray to God for poor brother Linotte, or for brother Tribouleus, or for poor brother Griboville, &c. For they are obliged to take ridiculous names in humility, to render themselves contemptible. After this they drink by permission with very great mo­desty.

If any one be accused of being too spruce and finical, a bucket of water is brought him to view himself in, or they present him with the backside of a kettle for a looking-glass.

They who have slept at prayers, are made to lie down in the presence of those that are at table, and are made to snore, as if they were asleep.

If any breaks a cup, or bottle, or a frying­pan, he is made to carry it about hanging at his neck for a pennance.

CHAP. IX. Some extravagant actions, in which the Capucins place holiness.

DIvers Capucins who have left the Con­vent, have confessed to me, that al­though they were accounted the most zealous amongst them, yet they had much adoe to forbear laughing at some extravagant actions, in which the Capucins place holiness.

These things following are practised a­mongst them, (viz.) To view themselves in a Fryingpan. To make a cross with the tongue in the ashes. To combe the beard with a rake. To chop off the beard on a block with a hatchet. To stand upon one legg in the midst of the dining-room. To kiss the feet of all those who are at dinner. To make a Monk dance before them all. To make him fence. To blindfold him with a dirty clout. To go about upon all four like a beast. To carry about on the head a basket like a head-piece. To put upon the nose a pair of spectacles made of felt. To ride about upon a stick like a child, &c. But the absurdest penance of all is, when the Superior commands a Monk, who having [Page 23] filled his belly, leaves some part of his dinner behind him, to eat it up all, So that he must break his belly in humility, and morti­fication.

In the life of St. Felix de Cantalice, (an almes-begger at Rome, Canonized by the Pope, about 16 or 17 years ago) this is put amongst his vertuous actions that being at Rome, in the street he met Philip de Neri, founder of the Priests of the Oratory, and made him drink off his bottle, and that Philip in requital put his hat on Felix his head: Whereupon the Children in the street cryed out Fra Felice a un capello. Thus did these Saints by a great self denial mutu­ally communicate their holiness to each other.

In the Chronicles of St. Francis's Order, it is recorded, that Fryar Juniperus, (who is Canonized for a Saint) boiled a hen with her guts, feathers and all. And that being in a certain Castle, he left his dung in the bed where he lay. Another Fryar Minor, named Jacobo, in humility leapt into a house of office.

CHAP. X. Of the names, which the Capucincs tak [...] when they enter into this profession.

WHen the Capucins enter into the Order, after the year of Probation they take another name then that which they had given them at their Baptisme: For (as I have already said) St. Francis's habit is accounted another Baptism. One is called Hilary, another Joseph, another Basil, &c. Some of them take Sublime and Caelestial names. One is called Father Angel, ano­ther Father Archangel, another Father Spi­rit, another Father Cherubin, another Fa­ther Seraphin, &c. which names are very unsuitable to the profession of humility. To be a Fryar Minor, that is, to be the least, and yet to be an Archangel, are things altogether inconsistent. Besides the nature of their vow is to do works of Supererogation: but the Angels do no such works, for they content themselves with obeying the commands of God.

Those who say the Capucins are called Angels because they imitate the Angels, in that they marry not, nor receive mony, do [Page 25] great wrong to the Order of these Monks; for by the same reason they may be said to imitate the Devils, because they neither mar­ry, nor possesse wealth any more than the Angels.

It is a mockery to say, that they are called Angels, and Seraphins, because they take the Angels and Seraphins for their Patrons, and Protectors: For by the same reason a marri­ed woman, who hath taken the Virgin Mary for her Patroness, may be called the Virgin Mary; And he who takes God for his pro­tector, may be called God. But sith the Capucins have St. Francis for their Protector, who is (as they say) of the Order of the Sera­phins, and exalted above the eight Orders of Angels, what need have they to take the Angels for their Patrons? Besides, they who choose Angels, or Saints for their Patrons, choose one certain Angel, or Saint for their Patron; and not the Angels and Saints in general.

CHAP. XI. The form of making their Vow.

WHen a Capucin will enter into the Order, after the year of probation, he is admitted to make the vow, which is done [Page 26] in the presence of the Superior, and his brethren, in these terms:

He that receives this Vow answers,

CHAp. XII. Some observations upon this Vow.

Divers things are remarkable in this vow, which being rightly understood, we shall finde that many abuses, yea impieties are therein covered with the cloak of religion.

In the first place, this vow is made to God the Father, to the Virgin Mary, to Saints, and to the Superior of the Convent, without making any mention at all of Jesus Christ.

In the Second place, he who makes this [...]ow to Saints departed, presupposeth that [...]hose Saints do see him, and that they know [...]he intention of his heart. This is contrary [...]o the Holy Scripture, which saith, that the dead have no more a portion for ever in any [...]hing that is done under the Sun. Eccles. 9.6. And that God onely knows the hearts of the Children of men. 2 Chron. 6.30.

This vow is repugnant to all the examples contained in the Holy Scriptures, wherein there is no vow made to creatures, but to God onely; as God himself commands in Psal. 50.14. Offer unto God thanks­giving, and pay thy vows unto the most High. Here sacrifices, and vows are linked toge­ther, as things equally due unto God. But the Church of Rome holds that we must offer sacrifices to God onely. Ergo.

But that in the holy Scripture not one ex­ample is to be found of vows made to Saints, Bellarmine freely confesseth in his book De cultu Sanctorum, Chapter 9. in these words; When the Holy Scriptures were written, the custome of making vows to Saints was not be­gun. The same Jesuit in the same chap­ter saith that a vow is an action of religion due to God onely, even as swearing, and sacrifi­cing are, as appears by the holy Scriptures. [Page 28] These are his own words. Thomas Aquin [...] the Prince of School-men, Thomas 2.2. qu [...]st. 28. art. 5. saith the san [...] A vow (saith he) is to be made to God o [...] ly, but a promise may be made to a m [...] And in the same place, A Vow is an act [...] of Religion, or Divine Worship. Whe [...] fore Cardinal Cajetan, in his notes up this place of Thomas, to defend vows m [...] to Saints, saith, that the Saints are Gods, a [...] that vows are made to them, ut sunt Dij [...] participationem, as they are Gods by parti [...] pation. The same saith Bellarmine in [...] afore-mentioned chapter. A Vow belo [...] not to the Saints but onely as they are Gods [...] participation. But we are certaine that t [...] Saints who raigne with Christ are such. E [...] go &c. According to what Pope Gregor [...] 2. saith in his Epistle to the Emperour Le [...] (viz.) that all the Kingdomes of the We [...] owne St. Peter for a God upon Earth.

But these Doctors consider not, that if [...] vow be a worship of Latria, and due [...] God onely, and that if we make vows [...] Saints because they are Gods by participation it follows that we give to Saints the wor­ship of Latria by participation.

Also they consider not, that by the sam [...] reaosn it may be said, that the Superior, o [...] Guardian, who receives this vow, is God to [...] [Page 29] by participation. For when the Fryar Minor [...]ath said, I vow unto God, and to the Vir­ [...]in, and to the Saints, he adds, and to you [...]ny Father, vowing to the Guardian in the [...]me termes in which he vows to the Saints, [...]nd to God. This needs not seem strange; [...]or in the Church of Rome, the Priests [...]re called Gods and Creators of their Crea­tor, having a Divine power, yea, a power o­ver Jesus Christ. Mr. Beste, a famous Preacher, in his book of the Priestly-Office, chap. 3. saith, The Priest-hood and the Deity have I know not what of common, and are almost of an equal grandeur, for they have the same power. Item. Seeing that the Priest-hood is equal to the Deity, and that all Priests are Gods, therefore it far exceeds the Kingly Office, and Priests are much more than Kings. And a little after he saith, that God obeys the Priests as often as they pronounce the words of consecration. A Sorbonist na­med Petrus Aurelius, hath lately written a book with the approbation, and by the au­thority of the Colledge of Sorbon, which re­futes a treatise of the Jesuits entituled Spon­gia; and in the 75 page this Aurelius saith, Data est Sacerdotibus potestas Christum, hoc est Deum ipsum producendi, that is, A power is given to Priests to produce Christ, that is [Page 30] to say God himself. He adds, that the power o [...] the Priests hath in it a certain emulation of the eternal operations, whereby the Divine per­sons are produced.

Qui crea­vit me (si fas est di­cere) dedit mihi creare se; & qui creavit me creatur me­dainte me. Gabriel Biel, famous among the School­men, in his first Lesson upon the Canon o [...] the Mass speaks thus; The Priest hath grea [...] power over both the bodies of Christ. That is over the Church, and over the consecra­ted hoste, which he calls God. And in hi [...] fourth Lesson, Whoever saw the like? H [...] that created me (if I may so speak) hat [...] given me power to create him. And he that created me without my help, is create [...] by my means.

Simeon Du­nelmensis lib. 2. Chro. Vigner in his Eccle­siast. Histo­ry, p. 300.This manner of speech is not new. Fo [...] Anno 1097. Urban II. called a Council a [...] Rome, against the Emperor Henry IIII. and all other secular Princes who should claim a right to the investiture of Bishops and Abbots, and to the Collations of Benefices, and Prebends, alledging that it is an abomi­nable thing that those hands which create God, should be obliged to so much ignominy as to do homage to those hands which night and day are defiled with filthy and dishonest touches. Wherefore, you must not wonder, if a Monk that is admitted into the Order, makes a vow to the Superior, who is a Priest, and [Page 31] gives him that honour, which belongs to the worship of Latria, seeing the Priests are called Gods, and Creators of their Creator, and that they have a power over Jesus Christ.

To these testimonies of the Doctors of the Romish Church, who say, that a vow belongs to the worship of Latria, and ought to be made to God only, we must adde the testimony of that Jesuit, Cardinal Tolet. in Book 4. Of the institution of Priests, chap. 17. A vow is a promise made to God by a deliberate purpose and will. By these things it appears, that a vow made to Saints, or to a Superior of a Convent, is pure Idolatry; for thereby that honour which is due to God only, is communicated to the creature.

Our adversaries cannot escape by saying, that in vowing to Saints they vow mediatly to God; for the worship of Latria ought not to be given to the creature either mediately or immediately. In all worship of Latria we must address our selves to God directly. The Monk that makes this vow addresseth himself to God directly by saying, I vow to almighty God, &c. Having thus addressed himself to God directly, what need is there that he should afterward address himself to him mediately, and by oblique ways? It [Page 32] is certain, that he who says to his Superior, or Guardian, I Vow to you my Father, speaks not to God, and by these words vows not to God. Consider the words of this vow, and you shall find, that a Monk who is admitted into the Order, speaks to God, to the Saints, and to his Superior in the same terms, and vows not in two different man­ners.

But when Bellarmine confesseth that the custome of making Vows to Saints was not begun when the holy Scriptures were writ­ten, he should have mentioned the time when it began, and not have cheated the Reader with false allegations, as his usual manner is. For he alledgeth these words of Eusebius in his 13. book of Evangelical preparation, chap. 7. Honouring the souldiers of true piety as the friends of God, we come to their monuments and make vows to them; Which passage is false, and altogether for­ged.

He also alledgeth Theodoret in his 8. book against the Greeks, which book is fals­ly attributed to Theodoret. In one point Bellarmine, besides his error, discovers his ignorance in the Greek tongue, in not know­ing that the Greeks have no proper word to express the word Vow: And the Latine [Page 33] Interpreter, to whom Bellarmine trusts, hath falsly translated Votorum rei dona persolvunt, Which words are not in the Greek Text of the book attributed to Theodoret.

It is in honour of the Pope that the Monks vow to St. Peter, and St. Paul, and not to St. John, and St. James: for they make the two former the Founders of the Church of Rome.

The things to which this Monk obligeth himself, are poverty, chastity, and obedience. Of poverty I shall speak hereafter. As for chastity, the Jesuit Emanuel Sa in his Apho­risms upon the word votum saith, that the vow of Priesthood is not a vow of chastity, and that the Bishop can dispence with it; Whereupon we demand, whether a Monk or a Priest that commits fornication, doth not vio­late the vow of Chastity, and whether by this Vow he doth not oblige himself not to com­mit fornication. If he doth not oblige him­self to it, he shews that he will not be obliged by vow to obey the command of God, which saith, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But by this vow he only obligeth himself to ab­stain from a thing which God permits, and not from that which he forbids. But if this Monk by vowing Chastity vows not to com­mit fornication, it is evident that by com­miting fornication he violates his vow, and [Page 34] besides he transgresseth the command of God, which obligeth us much more than any vo­luntary vow. So that he commits two evils, (viz.) He breaks his vow, and violates the law of God. Why then, when a Monk or Priest marries for fear of violating the Law of God by committing fornication, is he ac­counted to have committed a greater sin than when he commits fornication? Why then is not a Priest that commits fornication, made irregular, and incapable of the Priest­hood; but if he marries is presently degra­ded, yea, and declared punishable with death? To this they answer, that it is be­cause he hath broken his vow, and yet he re­mains unpunished, and ceaseth not to sing Mass for all that. For the commands of God do not bind so strongly as voluntary vows do, which are made without, yea contrary to the word of God, which saith, If they cannot contain, let them marry. And to avoid forni­cation, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband, 1 Cor. 7.

But that a Priest who commits fornicati­on, yea hath divers Concubines, is not thereby rendred irregular, and incapable of the Priest-hood, not onely experience shews (examples of this being numberless) but [Page 35] we have also the determination of Pope In­nocent the III. Thereupon in the first book of the Decretals, in the twelfth Title, in the Chapter Quia circa, His words are these, Thou desirest to be instructed by the Aposto­lique See, Whether Priests that have divers concubines, ought to be counted bigamous. To which we think fit to answer, that seeing they have not incurr'd the irregularity of bigamy, thou mayest dispence with their exercising of the Priestly Office, they being stained only with simple fornication. But for marrying of one wife, according to the Apostles rule, a Priest is degraded, yea punished with death.

But, which is much more, one that is a notorious Sodomite, is not made irregular, but may sing Mass for all that: as Navarre, Navarr. in caput ad inferen­dam. 23. quest. 2. De defensione proximi. the most knowing of all the Canonists, and the Popes Penitentiary teacheth; A man (saith he) doth not incur irregularity but for the cases specified in the law, of which num­ber Sodomie is none. And this he proves by the authority of Pope Innocent. And he adds, that in Italy, (which is more troubled with this evil than it should be) they demand no dispensation for it.

In fine, how binding soever the vow of not marrying may be, yet the Pope can [Page 36] dispence with it, and may permit a man to marry contrary to his vow. Emanuel Sa in the same place saith, that the Bishops may also dispence with this vow, and permit a man to marry.

Methinks also to vow to St. Peter never to marry, is to pretend to be wiser than he; for he was a married man. It is just as if one should say to him, I do vow to thee not to follow thy example. I do promise to be wiser and holier than thou.

It is evident, that he who burns with fil­thy lusts, and yet vows never to marry, does like a sick person that says to God, Lord, I am sick, but I promise thee that I will not make use of the remedies which thou offer­est me, and hast ordained in thy word, for I will be wiser thaen thou.

CHAP. XIII. The Impiety of the Superiours Answer.

IF there be Superstition and Impiety in this Vow, whereby a Monk vows to the Creature, and obligeth himself to things which God commands not; yea, to things which he forbids: there is no less in the An­swer which the Superiour or Guardian makes him, saying;

And I, if thou keep this vow, do promise thee, in Gods name, life Eternal.

These words duely considered, will make a man ttemble for fear. For one that is neither sent, nor authorized by the King, comes to a man, and sayes, I have order from the King to promise you such a Prefer­ment, if you do such a thing, is a Cheat, and a perfidious person, and deserves to be pu­nished, because he speaks without order, and without being sent by the King. But the Superiour, who makes this promise to the new Monk in God's name, cannot shew his Commission or Warrant from God for the making of this promise. He abuseth the poor Monk, by making him believe that he is sent by God to make him this promise in [Page 38] Gods name, (viz.) That if he lives in beg­gery, if he never marries, and if he be obe­dient to the Guardian of his Convent, he shall have Eternal life: For, these three things are things which God commands not in his Word, and to which he hath made no Pro­mise; yea, these are observations whereby God is more often offended then served: These are things which a Heathen or Hy­pocrite may do. But to serve God accord­ing to his Word, and to believe in Jesus Christ as he is proposed to us in the Gospel, are things to which God hath promised E­ternal life, and cannot be done by any, but by those that are the true Children of God: These are things, for which the Superiour should say, (not I promise thee, but) God promiseth thee Eternal life. For a man ought not to promise that which he cannot give.

CHAP. XIV. That corporal Austerities, and Whippings, and tormenting of the body, are not marks of Holiness.

HE is very much deceived, who takes the severitie and torments which a man inflicts on his body, for proofs or signs of [Page 39] Holiness. The Apostle St. Paul, 1 Tim. 4. saith, Bodily exercise profiteth little; but god­liness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. All that the Capucins do, is nothing, 1 K n. 18.28. in comparison of what Baal's Priests did: for they did cut and mangle their bodies with knives, and imbrued them­selves in blood, for the service of their Idol. There are Mahometan Monks called Dervis, who live very austerely, and do even roast their bodies upon the hot scalding sands, and with buckles and rings of Iron make them­selves incapable for generation. The Cynick Philosophers did beg: Diogenes lay in the street in a tub, having no other houshold­stuff then a woodden dish; and yet he brake that too, when he considered thar Nature had given him one in the hollow of his hand. Read Apulejus his eighth Book of the Mi­lesians, and you will there see the description of the Priests of the Syrian Goddess, who did cut and slash their bodies. Arrepto flagro in­didem se multimodis mulctat ictibus. Avidis amimis corradentes omnia, & in sacculos huic quaestui de industria praeparatos, farcientes. He describes one of those Priests, that did whip himself with a whip full of knots, being armed with obstinacy against the smart of the strokes, un­till the blood streamed down his body. More­over, [Page 40] he adds, [...]. That when these Priests had done whipping themselves, they went about a begging, and one gave them a piece of Mo­ny, another Wine, another Cheese, &c. which Alms they put into Wallets. In a word, the description which he gives of these mad Priests, doth very much resemble the lives of the Capucins. Lucian in his Book, inti­tuled The Ass, describes these Priests after the very same manner.

It is a grand abuse to make Piety consist in things wherein Christians may be excel­led by Heathens. There is a proud humili­ty, which despiseth it self, that it may be valued by others. The Apostles, and their Disciples, did not live so: In a simple and ordinary habit, and manner of life, they li­ved soberly, and laboured in the work which God had committed to them. They were famous, not for their extravagant and hide­ous apparel, not for whipping themselves, nor for eating pottage on their knees; but for their zeal, and holiness of life.

CHAP. XV. That the Austerities, and Humilities of the Capucins are full of Hypocrisie.

WE may easily know what to think of the Abstinences, Whippings, and humilities of the Capucins, (viz.) that in the midst of their Austerities they discover their pride. And of this I'le give you some examples.

Before the Capucins begin their Lents (for they have three Lents) they feast and make merry for a whole week, during which time, there is no frolick or Jovial act, which they omit. Some of them sing songs of good fellowship, others sing Amorous, or love songs, others shew Hocus pocus tricks, others stand upon their heads, or act the Tumbler or Juggler, &c. In fine, every one doth such things as he had learned before he was a Monk.

In great towns there be few Capucins but have their superstitiously devout women who furnish them with all sorts of dainties, as sweet meats, comfits, gellies, &c. So that some Capucins have more choice of dainties in their Cels then Ladies have in their clo­sets.

When a Capucin comes from abroad, warm linen clothes are put on his body, his feet are washed with sweet herbs, and when they are wiped with warm napkins, every one comes and kisseth them.

Many of the old Monks, who are called Fathers of importance, are so carefull of their health, that they have a cook for themselves in particular (who is alwaies a Monk) a groom of the chamber, and an Apothecary, who follow them from Convent to Convent. You shall see very few of these Fathers of importance, sick but they are very impatient if they want but the least trifle, and then all the town is ransackt from one end to the other, to find what they would have. The Nuns furnish them with sweet meats, the Ladies with rare broths and gellies, the Gentlemen of the Country with wild fowle, the merchants and other towns-men with Shambles-meat; and the wine which they ordinarily drink, is the best that is to be had. Those Capucins, who, to save their Souls, have left the Order, do protest that they have learned of us how to fast; and that when they were Capucins, they fed more highly, and lived more pleasantly and plentifully.

In great Convents of Capucins such as are at Paris, and Roven, a most furious am­bition [Page 43] and envie discovers it self: For, to obtain the least preferment in the Convent, and to supplant their competitors, they have their creatures who cry them up every where, and rail on those that aspire to the same. Of­fice; whence great disorders do oftentimes arise; for Princes do more patiently bear contempts and injuries then the Capucins. And at the Tables of Dukes, Marquesses, and Earls, the Capucins suffer themselves to be placed at the upper end.

Their pride appears in this, that they pro­fess works of supererogation, that is to say, better works then God commands: so that God may say to a Capucin, I would not have thee so holy.

The same spirit of pride appears in their calling themselves Angels, Archangels, Spirits, Seraphins and Cherubins. It ap­pears also by the unworthy submissions which the principal Capucins require of the inferi­our, who never speak to the Superiours but on their knees; which Superiours command them very base things, as to lick up the others spittle, &c.

It cannot be said, that they wear a barba­rous and extravagant habit in humility and mortification; For, he that will subdue his Flesh, may do it as well under a common [Page 44] habit; he may under a usual habit wear a hair-shirt, and may whip himself secretly as often as he pleaseth, and without any one's knowledge: But this wild habit, differing from that of other men, serves onely to be look'd upon, and admired; for people gaze upon and admire nothing but what is extra­ordinary.

To this we may add, that he who makes profession of simplicity and humility in his conversation, should not be vain in his dis­courses, nor too wantonly nice and delicate in his words, for fear of belying his Profes­sion by his Language.

I speak this because of Father Joseph, [...] Capucin; who in his new Book shews, tha [...] he hath made a great provision of Elegancies. As when he calls St. John, The Secretary o [...] Love to the Son of God. And of Transub­stantion he saith, that it is Love's Master­piece. And speaking to us, he saith, That when God shall have brought us into his Wine­cellar, there to taste of the excess of his love, we shall not find it so difficult to believe, That Jesus Christ did eat himself, and that toge­ther with Christ's body the Devil entred into Judas. With the like grace, supposing the words of St. Philip to the Eunuch too weak and impertinent, as they are set down in the [Page 45] eighth Chapter of the Acts, he introduceth him speaking thus; Sir, will it please you that I presume to ask you a question, with all due respect? To which he makes the Eunuch answer with the like civility, I pray oblige me so much as to come into this Coach. Note also, that the very first word of his Book is a mistake, beginning thus, The Apostle St. Philip; For this Philip was not an Apostle. With the like vanity he talks of preaching in a Ruff, and in a Band, and of yellow and green Gentlewomen; and he brings in speaking I know not what Courtier, who praiseth and extolleth him to his face, saying, That Father Joseph speaks very gracefully, and that all the Catholiques have been very much comforted by his Sermons, and do ad­mire the force and clearness of his Reasons.

CHAP. XVI. Of the pleasant Process betwixt the Capu­cins and Recollects, about the Tip of their Hoods. Also of Masses in Red, Green, and Violet.

THe pride of the Minor Fryars did never more clearly appear, then in the quarrel which they had, and have to this day, with [Page 46] the Recollects, who are also of St. Francis's Order. When we speak of a Process about nothing, we say, It is a Process about the point of a needle; but the Process of these Minor Fryars hath been about the point or Tip of their Hood.

We must know, that the Cordeliers, who brag as well as the Capucins, that they wear St. Francis's Habit, differ from the Capucins in wearing a round Hood, and laugh at the Capucins and Recollects for wearing a sharp-pointed Hood, calling it in derision, Made like a Py­ram [...]d, in which they put such things as they sell by retail. A Gro­cers paper. Betwixt these Capucins and Re­collects there began, a few years since, a great Process in the Court of Rome. The Capu­cins complained, That the Recollects wore their Hood too long; and that thereby they would make themselves equal to the Capu­cins in Holiness. That by reason of this long point, being equal in length to that of the Capucins, many are deceived, taking a Re­collect for a Capucin, and so give him as much honour; although the Recollects are not to be compared to the Capucins for holiness, and merit of Conversation. And therefore they requested, that by the Decree of his Holi­ness, the Recollects might be condemned to shorten the point of their Hood.

The Recollects, on the other side, main­tained, [Page 47] and do so still maintain, that they are not inferiour to the Capucins in holi­ness, and perfection; and that it is no dishonour to the Capucins if somtimes a Recollect be taken for a Capucin, or a Capucin for a Recollect.

This process hath caused great stirs, and hath much troubled these two Orders, and divided the Prelates of Rome into contra­ry factions. And it was pleasant to hear the contests of these Minor Fryars. The Ca­pucin said to the Recollect, What! thou would­est be equal to us in holiness: Thou art so ambitious, as that thou wouldest be taken for a Capucin. But the Recollect, being witty in biting jests, said, Thou thinkst that ho­liness consists in wearing a long Ut priùs dictum est. Grocers paper. Thou thinkest by thy pride to put the Holy Ghost into a long through which they strain their infusions when they make syr­rups; it is a long sharp-pointed bag. Apothecaries bagg. The holiness of you Capucins appears in this, vsz. That for eight days before Lent, you shew tricks of Legerdemain, and play the Tumblers, &c. Thus did these Saints dispute, quarreling which of them by their pride should carry away the prize of humility.

But the Cordeliers, who wear a round hood like a childs biggin, took great plea­sure in beholding this strife, and laughed at them both: For they say, that the hood of the old pictures and statues of St. Francis, [Page 48] hath not a long point; And they say, that their round hood, made in form of a child's biggin, is conformable to what our Saviour saith in the 18. Chap. of St. Matthew, Ex­cept ye become as little Children, Cass. lib. 1. cap. 4. ye cannot en­ter into the Kingdom of God. Cassian saith the same of the Anchorites, living in the deserts of Egypt, that they wear a hood in imitation of the simplicity and innocency of Children, according to that which is writ­ten in the 131. Psalm, I am not haughty, but am even as a child weaned from his mother.

Nevertheless, St. Hierome speaks against this hood, and laughs at it: for observe what he saith of it, in his Epistle to Eustochius, There are some (saith he) who wear a hair-shirt, Cucullis fa­brefactis ut ad infanti­am redeā [...], imitantur noctuas, & hubones. and making themselves hoods, to resem­ble children, they are like Owls, and buz­zards. Afterward he adds, Shun those whom thou seest have a Goat's beard, a black cloak, and that go with their feet naked, being har­dened with the cold: All these things are markes of the devil. When they have intru­ded themselves into great men's houses, they deceive silly women laden with sin, and coun­terfeit a dejected gravity. This is a very fair lesson for the Capucins.

But to return to this great process: the Capucins did at last obtain sentence in their [Page 49] favour; for they had on their side one of the Popes near kinsmen, who was a Capu­cin. By this sentence of the Pope, the Re­collects were condemned to shorten the tip of their hood: but they openly protested, that they would not obey this sentence, saying, That they would rather dissolve their Order, and relinquish all, then acquiesce in this sentence. Wherefore yet to this day, in de­spight of the Pope, they wear their hood of the same length as before.

Of this hood, as of the rest of the habit of the Minor Fryars, it is observable, that it is not lawfull for a Monk to change it in the least, not so much as in the colours of the Mass: For it is not lawfull to sing Mass in a red habit, on those daies on which it is appointed to be sung in a green habit; nor to be sung in a black habit, on those days on which it is appointed to be sung in a violet ha­bit: The rules in this case are very strict, pag. 328. and are placed at the beginning of the Mass-book.

But Father Joseph wrongs us in his new book, by endeavouring to prove that the like things are done amongst us, objecting against me, that I wear a Ruff, and that as there are Masses in green, violet, &c. so it may be said, that amongst us there are Sermons in a Ruff, and Sermons in a Band, [Page 50] Sermons in a Gown, and Sermons in a Cloak: for this Minor Fryar knows well e­nough, that we have no rules to oblige us to wear a Ruff or a Band, as the Church of Rome hath inviolable laws concerning Masses in green, red, and violet. It is to be suppo­sed that when St. Peter and St. Paul were in a gay humour, they sang Mass in a green habit. My design in mentioning the colours of Masses so strictly enjoined, is to shew, that false religions having corrupted the true doctrine, do endeavour to colour this wickedness with a multitude of ceremonies, and external observations, in which great mysteries are pretended: So our Adver­saries having destroyed the body of true piety, pay the people with variety of colours.

CHAP. XVII. How St. Francis obtained of Pope Innocent the Third, the approbation of his Rule.

FRancis d' Assise, when he was but a pri­vate person, little known, and followed by none; moreover, being esteemed out of his wits by his fellow citizens, who threw dirt at him, and also by his father, named Peter Bernardo, who did beat him, and kept him prisoner a long time, composed a Rule, [Page 51] and some laws, to the Observation whereof he would oblige those who would believe him, promising them life eternal.

But because this Rule could not be re­ceived without the Popes approbation, and authority, he went to Pope Innocent the 3d. to beg the confirmation of his Rule. Ma­thew Paris, an English Monk, Superstiti­ous in the highest degree, and an admirer of St. Francis, in his History of the life of Hen­ry the III. saith, pag. 237. that the said St. Francis pre­sented himself to Pope Innocent the III. sit­ting in Conclave, and gave him his Rule in writing, intreating him to authorize it by his approbation: but Pope Innocent taking notice of St. Francis's bad cloaths, his dirty and contemptible countenance, his long beard, and the black hair of his eye-brows hanging down over his eyes, despised him, and said to him, Go brother, and wallow in the dirt with the Swine, for thou art more like them than like a man. Which words as soon as Francis heard, he bowed himself very low, and in obedience to the command of his Holiness, went and wallowed with swine in a puddle, wherein he tumbled so long that he was covered with dirt from head to foot; and in this pickle he came a­gain, and presented himself to the Pope, [Page 52] saying, My Lord, I have done what you commanded me, Whereat the Pope being very much astonished, and admiring his great obedience, granted his request, and approved of St. Francis's Rule which is ob­served at this day by the Capucins, and the o­ther Minor Fryars, with a grand obedience. This approbation was granted Anno Domini 1212. as St. Bonaventure and, St. Antonine testifie. And this approbation was again confirmed by Pope Honorius, successor to Innocent.

CHAP. XVIII. Of the humility, and incomparable patience of St. Francis; and of his most notable actions.

DIvers have written the life and actions of St. Francis. Vincent in his Mirrour of History writes it at large. Matthew Pa­ris, an English Monk, in the life of Hen­ry the Third, describes the actions of St. Francis, and sets down his Rule. These two Historians wrote about thirty years after St. Francis's death. James de Voragine hath written his Legend. We have also the Chronicles of St. Francis, upon the same [Page 53] subject. But the Authors of greatest autho­rity are first St. Bonaventure, a General of St. Francis's Order, and a Cardinal, who wrote about forty years after St. Francis's death. This Bonaventure, the Church of Rome placeth amongst her Saints, and Prin­cipal Doctors. This is that St. Bonaventure, who composed the Psalter of the Virgin Mary, This Psal­ter of Bo­naventure, was print­ed at Paris by Claude Chapelet, in St. James's street at the sign of the Uni­corn, anno. 1601. containing one hundred and fifty Psalms, which are nothing else but the hundred and fifty Psalms of David, out of which Bonaventure hath taken the word God, and hath put the word Virgin in its stead; for example, he thus begins the 109. Psalm, (which according to the Hebrew, is the 110) The Lord said unto our Lady, sit thou at my right hand, &c. And in Psal. 90. instead of, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, he hath put, He that dwelleth in the help of the Mother of God. And in the 129. Psalm, Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee, O our Lady, hear my voice. And so throughout the Psalms. By this means the true honour which all Christi­ans owe to the holy, and blessed Virgin, turns to her reproach, by transforming her into an Idol, and by putting her in the place of God. This is that St. Bonaventure, to whom the Capucin Joseph would have us give cre­dit, [Page 54] and would have us believe that de­scription of S. Francis's life, which he gives us.

After this St. Bonaventure, we have St. Antonine, Archbishop of Florence, Canonized by Pope Clement the Seventh, Anno Domini. 1523, with the appro­bation of his Doctrine, and great Indul­gences granted to those who shall shall vi­sit his Sepulchre. I speak this, because no body may think that such passages as I shall quote out of these Authors, are things which the Church of Rome be­lieves not; or that I have invented them; or that they are forged by persons of small authority. I alledge such Saints as are prayed unto, and adored in the Church of Rome.

Saint Francis his Father was na­med Peter Bernardo, A Citizen of Assise, in the Dutchy of Spolete in Italy.

Saint Francis's name, when he was young, was John Bernardo, but he chang­ed his name, and would be called Fran­cis, because he spake French when he was moved by the Holy Ghost to utter the prai­ses of God; as Bonaventure tells us, in the life of St. Francis. This Life, written by St. Bonaventure, you may find in Surius, in the month of October. p. 30.

When he was but young, and a Lay-per­son, he demonstrated a grand Humility, even to the kissing of Lepers: and one day alight­ing from his horse to kiss a Leper, it was re­vealed unto him, that this Leper was Jesus Christ.

His fellow-Citizens seeing him a greasie and dirty fellow, and that he did wild and extravagant actions, judged him to be out of his wits; and running after him, threw stones at him, and covered him all over with dirt. Which when his Father saw, he fetcht him home, and kept him shut up a long time, whipping him cruelly, as mad folk are whipt for their cure. But his Mo­ther taking pity on him, did, in the absence of her Husband, set him at liberty.

When his Father returned home, he brought him before the Bishop, and made him disclaim his right of Inheritance: To which Francis very willingly consented; yea, pulling off his Breeches, and the rest of his cloaths, he made himself stark naked, being (as St. Bonaventure saith) drunk with the Holy Ghost. Then he said to his Father, Hitherto I have called thee my Fa­ther; but henceforward I will say, Our Fa­ther which art in Heaven. Antonine reports the same in the Life of St. Francis.

Being thus naked, he went into a Spittle where Lepers were kept, and tended them, kissing their feet, and wiping and kissing their sores with an admirable devotion, as St. Bonaventure tells us.

In those dayes St. Francis wore shooes, and walked with a staff, and girded himself with a leather-girdle: But afterwards, judg­ing this equipage excessive, and too deli­cate, he left his shooes and his staff, and in humility girded himself with a Cord.

Being tempted with unchast desires, he plunged himself over head and ears in a ditch full of ice. And one day, the Devil having breathed on him, he felt the fire of carnal lust kindled within him: Whereup­on this blessed Saint stript himself stark na­ked, and whipt himself terribly with his Cord, saying, Eja frater asine, decet te ma­nere, & sic subire flagellum; that is, Go eo, brother ass, thou must stay there, and be whipt thus. Antonine and James de Voragine report the same.

The hard ground was his ordinary bed, and a stone his pillow. But one day, by reason of a pain in his head, taking a feather-pillow, and reposing himself thereupon, the Devil got into it, and extremely troubled his brain, and disturbed his devotion: At [Page 57] which St. Francis being incensed, took hold of the pillow, and threw away both it and the Devil.

Finding that his carnal concupiscence con­tinued, he ran to his garden, and gathering a great heap of snow, he plunged himself in it over head and ears, stark naked, as St. Bonaventure saith. But St. Antonine saith, that he plunged himself in it onely so high as his privities. Then he made seven snow-balls, saying of one, This is my Mother; and of another, This is my Daughter, &c. whereupon the Devil went away very much ashamed.

He presented his Rule to Pope Innocent the Third; who for a while rejected it, and some of the Cardinals opposed it, saying, That it proposed novelties, and things im­possible to be done: But at last, St. Francis wallowing in the mire with Swine, obtained his request.

Sometimes he had a mind to hear himself reviled; Bonavent. p. 39. Legenda Antonin. p. 725. Legenda. and to this purpose he once said to a Monk, Rail on me. Which strict command the Monk not daring to disobey, said to him, Thou art an idle, lazie Lubber, a mercenary fellow, an ignorant sott, and a worthless rascal. Whereat St. Francis greatly rejoy­cing, answered, God bless thee, my Son; [Page 58] for what thou hast said is vory true.

Bonavent. pag. 39. Antonin. pag. 726.One day he had a mind to feed bette [...] then ordinary; for which resolving to ma [...] satisfaction, as having committed a great s [...] he caused himself to be dragged to the Ga [...] lows, with a halter about his neck, and [...] body naked, only he had a pair of Drawe [...] on; and there standing on a great stone, [...] confessed that he was a glutton, a fles [...] eater, and most worthy of scorn and co [...] tempt. St. Antonine saith, that a Monk we [...] before him, crying aloud, Friends, beho [...] this glutton, this eater of Pullets flesh, whic [...] he hath eaten secretly without our knowledg [...]

Bonavent. pag. 41. The Le­gend saith the same.The Devils whipt him so cruelly, th [...] they left him half-dead. And one day multitude of Devils running on the top [...] his house with a horrible noise, he called [...] them with a sweet and pleasing voice, i [...] treating them to come down, and to be [...] and torment him; saying to them, Com [...] and avenge me of my adevrsary, which is my flesh.

Legend. pag. 72.Not being content with the torments the Devils inflicted on him, he whipt himself cruelly, taking delight in this exercise. And once he hid himself in a Cave a whole month, without any ones knowledge, as St. Antoni [...] testifies.

St. Antonine and the Legend put this amongst the proofs of St. Francis's holiness; pag. 721. Antonin. Tit. 24 c. 1. s. 2. That being once at dinner at an honest mans house, a Capon of seven years old was brought to the table, and that he sent a leg of this Capon for an Alms to a poor passen­ger, who was a One that believes amiss. Legenda Antonin. pag. 725. Bonavent. miscreant, and a perverse fellow. But the next day, when St. Francis was in the Pulpit preaching, this miscreant, thinking to jeer St. Francis, said to the peo­ple; I will shew you what sort of meat Fran­cis useth to feed on: and then going to shew the people the Capons leg, he found it turn­ed into Fish; whereupon this miscreant was much confounded.

When any one gave him roast-meat, he dragged it through the ashes, Antonin. pag. 726. or laid it a soak­ing in cold water, for fear of breaking his Vow of poverty and abstinence. An inventi­on which Jesus Christ and his Apostles, when they were eating the Passeover, did not think of.

St. Antonine saith, Antonsn. in vitâ S. Francisci, pag. 723. that St. Francis divi­ded his Disciples into three Companies; whereof two spent their time in contempla­tion, and the third in action. This third sort of Monks were called Pinzocgori, and were permi [...]ed to marry.

Legenda Jacobi de Voragine. Antonin. p. 724.Some Greek Monks having prepared dinner for him, when he came to the hous [...] and saw clean linnen and glasses on t [...] table, he presently got to the door, a [...] ran out into the street, where meeting [...] beggar who had a very bad hat, he took th [...] hat, and putting it on his own head, sat down at the door of the house, begging.

Legenda Jacobi de Voragine Antonin. in vitâ Francisci.Being weary, he got up upon an asse but having with him one Leonard a Monk who was on foot, this Leonard grumble [...] at it; which St. Francis perceiving, alight­ed from the asse, and said to Leonard; Brother get up upon the asse, for thou art of better a family than I.

Legenda Antonin.He honoured Priests so much, that h [...] said, If I should meet together on the way a Priest, and a Saint that came down from heaven, I would first go and kiss the Priest's hands, and would say to the Saint, stay thou there a while.

The Legend and Antonin. p. 726. & 727. Bonavent. p. 44 & 50In humility he preached to the birds. And being once in a Castle called Albian, while he was preaching to the people, a multitude of Swallows flockt about him; which by their singing hindred the people from hearing him: W [...]upon turnin [...] to the Swallows, he said, [...]ters, ye ha [...] talked enough, now it is hig [...] time for me [Page 61] to speak. At which words the Swallows were silent untill the Sermon was ended. And pittying a Hare, Bonavent. page 44. which suffered it self to be taken, he said to it, Brother Hare, why didst thou suffer thy self to be so deceived? A live Tench was presented to him, Antonin. page 727. Bonavent. page 44. The Le­gend. Bonavent. pag. 44. on which taking pitty, he threw it again into the River. Hearing a Grashopper sing, he said to it, Sing, sister Grashopper, and praise the Creator with rejoicing.

Being in the Church of St. Mary, called Portiuncula, some body gave him a sheep, to which he gave instructions; and the sheep in obedience to him, presently sell a bleat­ing, while the Monks were singing in the Choir: and this creature did very humbly kneel down when the hoste was held up. Whereupon Surius puts in the Margin, O that hereticks would learn henceforward to a­dore the Eucharist!

Travelling through the Marquisate of An­cona, Antonin. p. 727. he met on his way a Country fellow carrying two Lambs to Market to sell them, which did bleat most pittifully; Whereup­on St. Francis, being touched with bro­therly compassion, said to the Country fel­low, Why d [...]st thou torment my Brethren so? The Country man answered, I carry [Page 62] them to the Market to sell them to some body that will eat them. Then the holy man said to him, God forbid; rather take the cloak which I have on my shoulders. So he gave him his cloak, and saved the lives of his brethren, which he carried away on his shoulders with a brotherly Charity.

Antonin. pag. 727.Remembring that it is written in the two and twentieth Psalm, I am a worm, and no man, he would not suffer a worm to be troden upon.

One of his Monkes having spoken som­what roughly to a poor man, he commanded him to strip himself, and to go stark na­ked before this poor man, and to kiss his feet.

Antonin. in vitâ Fran­cisci cap. 2. s. 6. Bonavent. page 47.He was very devoutly present at a Christmass mid-night Mass, to which ac­cording to the Custome of the Church of Rome in those days, and used still in some places, an Oxe, and an Asse were led, and hay was carried for them.

It is observable that Bonaventure saith, That Francis had no learning, page 48. nor knowledg of the holy Scriptures, acqui­red either by study or instruction from o­thers but that by the irradiation of [Page 63] the eternal splendour, he penetrated e­ven to the very bottome of the Holy Scripture. Hence it is, that in his Rule he alledgeth Scripture so dexterously, and pertinently, as we shall see anon.

At last brother Francis dyed, having acted a Comedy both before God and man.

CHAP. XIX. The great rewards which St. Francis recei­ved for his humility: And of his marks.

A Humility so profound, and of s [...] great a merit, was not unrewarde [...] St. Antonine, pag. 728. in the life of St. Francis, reports, That the people did run after him and did tear his cloathes in pieces, every on [...] striving to carry away a piece, believing tha [...] these rags were of great vertue, and a prope [...] meanes for salvation; so that the peopl [...] left him half naked.

Bonaventure saith, That a certain holy ma [...] had a vision, wherein it seemed to him, tha [...] a golden cross came out of St. Francis' [...] mouth, whose top touched Heaven, an [...] its two armes reached unto the ends of th [...] Earth.

In the seventh chapter of the Revelati [...] St. John speaks thus; I saw another Ang [...] ascending from the East, having the sea [...] of the living God. St. Bonaventure, in th [...] life of St. Francis, Bonavent. pag. 31. saith, That we must believe that without doubt this Angel is St Francis: these are his words; I saw (sait [...] John in the Revelation) another Angel asce [...] ding [Page 65] from the East, having the seal of the living God. Whence we gather, by an in­fallible faith, that this messenger of God, beloved of Christ, to be imitated by us, and admired by the world, is that servant of God, Francis.

The same Bonaventure saith, Pag. 40. that a certain holy, and devout man, being once in St. Francis's company, fell into a trance, and saw in Heaven divers seats, amongst which he saw one more Magnificently adorned then the rest, glittering with pretious stones, and very glorious: And as this holy man was wondering for whom this seat was pre­pared, a voice came to him from Heaven, saying, This was the seat of one of the lap­sed Angels, and is kept for the most hum­ble Francis. The Legend saith the same: and we have already seen, that this was the seat of one of the apostate Seraphins; and that by this exaltation the most humble Francis is placed above the Archangels, and above the Cherubins, and consequent­ly above all the Saints, except the Virgin Mary, who is called The Queen of Heaven.

All, that have written the life, and actions of St. Francis, say, That about two years before his death, God intending [Page 66] to recompence the humility and merits of St. Francis, sent a Seraphin to him; which, lying upon him cross-wise, imprinted on his hands and feet the marks of the wounds of Jesus Christ.

After his death, there was a great stir, and contest about these marks: Some laughed at it, and said, that if St. Francis had really received from God the marks of the wounds of Jesus Christ, every one must needs have seen them, during the space of those two years, seing he went with his feet naked, and wore no gloves: but that none ever saw them, save one Fryar, named Elias, Antonin. Tit. 24. cap. 2. S. 8. Solus hoc frater Elias casu utcunque prospicere meruit. who saw them but once, and that by chance too. They said also, that the miracles of Jesus Christ, and his Apo­stles served to some good purpose, (viz.) to cure diseases, to give ease and delive­rance to the afflicted, to raise the dead &c. but that the marks of these wounds d [...] no cure at all, and are good for nothing That it is not credible, that God would im­print these marks on a mortal body, whic [...] was soon after to putrifie, by which putre­faction these marks had been defaced Moreover, that although these marks had been really imprinted, yet it is a thing which the Devil, or men may easily coun­terfeit. [Page 67] That the Apostles, who had more worth in them then St. Francis, never had these marks.

But the Pope interposed, and in recom­pence of the services which Brother Fran­cis had done him, (for he was a great de­fender of the Popes Authority) Canoni­zed him, and put him in the Catalogue of the Saints. This Canonization was Anno Domini 1228. Moreover, Pope Alexan­der the Fourth, Anno Domini 1254. un­derstanding that St. Francis was on Mount Alverno when he received the impression of these wounds, took this occasion to aug­ment his Revenue: For he declared, that all the Ecclesiastical Lands and Goods in that Mountain did belong to the Pope, and were directy and immediately subject to the Church of Rome. Moreover, Antonin. cap. 2. s. 10. he did personally cite, and adjourn those who had maliciously defaced the marks of the Image of S. Francis which was at Gennes, in the Church of St. Mary de Vignes.

About twenty six years since, Pope Ni­colas the Fourth sent Bulls to all the Churches under the Papal jurisdiction, certifying the truth of St. Francis's marks (though divers, who were hard of belief, Antonin. pag. 720. laughed at it:) since which time, the me­mory [Page 68] of St. Francis's marks is sacred in the Church of Rome, which (as Antonine saith) observes the Feast of St. Francis's marks; which honour is not done to the marks of Jesus Christ.

When I consider these things, I cannot enough wonder at the blindness of those that give credit to things so full of absur­dities and impostures: It seems as if the adorers of St. Francis had invented them on purpose to dishonour and mock him; for no man, who hath any common sense left him, will do such things as are attribu­ted to St. Francis; who play'd the mad-man, that he might be counted a Saint; and, as much as in him lay, kept himself from the usual and ordinary actions of man­kind, that he might be admired, (viz.) To draw roasted flesh through the ashes; to wallow in the dirt with Swine; to tum­ble in the snow; to give instruction to A­nimals, and to call them his brethren and Sisters, are things which cannot be done by a man that is in his right senses.

And herein we must admire the just ef­fects of Gods displeasure, who hath re­venged the contempt of his Word contain­ed in the holy Scriptures; for in those days, and in the following Ages, the holy [Page 69] Scripture was a Book sealed, and altogether unknown to the people: Nothing was then talked of, but Images, lying Wonders, Croisades, Indulgences, adoration of Re­liques, and the power of the Pope was then at the height, and absurd and feigned Le­gends were the ordinary subject of Ser­mons. Wherefore God being provoked, strook the people with the spirit of giddi­ness, and with a horrible blindness, which grew thicker and thicker, until God took the Candle of his Word from under the Bushel, and exposed to view the holy Scriptures.

CHAP. XX. That under the Cloak of Humility Saint Francis hid an unparallel'd pride.

WHosoever shall rightly consider the actions of St. Francis, shall under the Cloak of Humility discover an unparallel'd pride.

In the beginning of the Legend written by James de Voragine, it is reported, That Francis being prisoner with divers other per­sons, he onely was merry, and all the rest were sad. And being asked what was the cause of his mirth, he answered; Ideo me exultare noveritis, quia adhuc sanctus per totum seculum adorabar, that is, Know, that I rejoyce because I shall be adored for a Saint throughout the World. To desire to be adored is the highest degree of pride: None of the Apostles desired this honour. Cornelius the Centurion, who was a man fearing God, knew that there is but one God, which he continually invoked; He knew well enough that St. Peter was not the Creator of the world: but being seized with reverence, he would have given him some inferiour adoration; for which St. Peter re­buked [Page 71] him, saying. Stand up; I my self also am a man. Act. 10.26. St. John, seized with fear, would have adored the Angel that talked with him, as you may see in the one and twentieth Chapter of the Revelation; But the Angel rebuked him, saying, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant; worship God. He knew well enough that this Angel was not God; for the same Angel had told him so before, in chap. 19 of the same book. Is it not therefore an impious folly, for a man to live the life of a begger, that he may be adored after his death?

The Rule of St. Francis, which speaks with an absolute authority, demonstrates the pride of him that composed it. For who gave brother Francis, who was of the meanest of the people, and without any charge either Ecclesiastical or Civil, pow­er to compose laws different from the laws of God, and to make ordinances which ob­lige men upon pain of damnation? Who gave him power to command with absolute authority? For see how he speaks in his Rule. Per obedientiam injungo Ministris; I enjoin Ministers by their obedience. And he concludes his Rule with these words, That it is not lawfull for any man to infringe this Rule, or by rash boldness to contradict it. [Page 72] That if any one shall presume to make such an attempt, let him know, that he shall incur the displeasure of Almighty God, and of the Blessed Apostles, Peter, and Paul.

I demand how we can be assured that God would have us, upon pain of incurring his displeasure, entirely observe the Rule of Francis d'Assise, and that God would be angry with a Minor Fryar, who, instead of a Cord, should gird himself with a lea­ther-girdle, or should receive mony, or would not wear patcht clothes, or would wear a shirt, or should (whether he be a Capucin or a Lay Cordelier) say less then seventy six Paters in one day? What can be said more against murtherers, adul­terers, and blasphemers, than to say, that they incur the indignation of Almighty God? Hath not weak and sinfull man e­nough to do to obey the commands of God, without having heavy burthens imposed on him in things unnecessary, and which God requires not, and then to be made believe, that he who doth in the least transgress these laws, invented by man, doth incur the indignation of God?

It is observable, that many of those who are rigid observers of those humane laws, and oblige others to be so too, do very ea­sily [Page 73] dispence with the Laws of God; and [...]e far from loving God with all their hearts, [...]nd their neighbors as themselves.

But superstition prevails more than Re­ [...]gion. And hence it is that in the Con­ [...]ents of Monks there are envies, factions and [...]ontinual emulations, besides other vices.

But how did this Francis d' Assise know, [...]hat a Monk who observes not his Rule, in­ [...]urs the indignation of S. Peter and S. Paul? Had he spoken with them? Did they declare [...]nd promise that they would be avengers [...]nd enemies to all those that should con­ [...]emn the Rule of the Minor Fryars? We [...]ave the Epistles of those excellent Apo­ [...]tles, Peter, and Paul, which (without a [...]omparison) are better then St. Francis's Rule, and yet they do not declare them­ [...]elves avengers of the contempt of their [...]octrines.

They do not say, that he who shall vio­ [...]ate their precepts, shall incur their indigna­ [...]ion. Wherefore it appears that this vene­ [...]able Francis assumes an authority over the Apostles, whom he would oblige to be an­ [...]ry for his sake, and to undertake his quar­ [...]el. But it is not credible, that the A­postles, who enjoy celestial glory, will con­ [...]ern themselves for the observation of the [Page 74] Rules of Monks, especially seeing they themselves were no Monks, and that their lives were as much unlike the lives of the Ca­pucins, as heaven is distant from earth; Also because there were no Convents of Monks in the Apostles days, nor in many ages after.

Methinks it is enough to have God our ene­my: If a man incurs the indignation of God, the indignation of these two Apostles wil not render him the more miserable. In vain there­fore doth Francis, after he hath denounced a­gainst the Minor Fryars, who shall disobey his Rule, the indignation of God, threaten them with the indignation of St. Peter, and St. Paul, who are presupposed (though with­out proof, and contrary to the word of God) to know the heart, and to see all that i [...] done here below.

Also we would fain know, why Francis d' Assise threatens the Monks with the in­dignation of St. Peter, and St. Paul, onely? And why not with the indignation of St. John, and St. James? But perhaps he be­lieved, that they have less credit in heaven, or that they are less cholerick.

It is very observable, that Francis d'Assise composed his Rule (wherein he gives laws, and commandeth with authority,) when he was but a Lay man, and a private person, and [Page 75] a long time before the Pope approved it: And although he was of the meanest rank of people, and without any office or digni­ty, yet he speaks magisterially.

To the Rule of St. Francis, is added his Testament, wherein he speaks with full power, and authority, saying, Firmiter volo quod fratres laborent de laboritio, & praeci­pio firmiter fratribus per obedientiam, &c. That is, I do strictly charge, and do firmly, and absolutely command the Fryars by their obedience, &c. He presupposeth, that o­bedience is due to him, and that his com­mands ought to be firm, and inviolable. Kings speak not with more authority.

CHAP. XXI. Some Laws and Ordinances contained in St. Francis's Rule.

THe Rule of Francis d'Assise begins with these words:

These words are very remarkable; for they do not oblige the Monks to acknow­ledge Jesus Christ to be the eternal Son of God, and the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, nor to be charitable and liberal to the poor, nor to be at peace with their neighbours, nor to do to others what they would have done to themselves, nor dili­gently to read the holy Scripture, and to be instructed in the Doctrine of Salva­tion, which are things expresly contain­ed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and recommended by the Apostles: But [Page 77] this Rule obligeth the Minor, Fryars to observe the Gospel in things which the Gospel of Jesus Christ commands not; for you cannot find, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ forbids any one to marry; on the contrary, Jesus Christ, by the mouth of his Apostle, commands those who cannot con­tain, to marry, and St. Peter was married. Jesus Christ forbids us not to possess any thing in particular, nor doth he command us to live in beggery by the sweat of other mens brows. He commands not to make a Vow of Obedience to a Guardian, or Abbot, or Superiour of a Monastery; for in the dayes of Jesus Christ there were no such people, nor in many Ages after. Can there be a more manifest mockery, then to oblige men by Vow to obey the Gospel in such things whereof the Gospel makes not the least mention, and some whereof are contrary to the Gospel?

But if these things are commanded in the Gospel, (as this Rule falsly presuppo­seth,) why then doth the Pope dispence with this Vow, by permitting Monks to marry? However, he seldome gives this permission, except to persons of great Quality.

In the second Chapter of the same Rule, you shall find these words:

Must not that man be out of his wits, who thinks, that the patching of old cloathes can bring down the blessing of God upon any one? And seeing the Capucins cloathes are of woollen-cloth, St. Francis did very improperly ordain, that they should be patched with sack-cloth.

In the same Chapter of this Rule, men­tion is made of three Lents, viz. the Lent before Easter, another from All Saints day till Christmass, and the other from the day of the Epiphany till the Lent before [Page 79] Easter. So that there are five Months of Lent: The two first are necessarily en­joyned, but the third is left to every ones liberty.

In this same Chapter, the Minor Fry­ars are forbiden to ride on Horse-back, ex­cept in case of extreme necessity. Also they are commanded, when they enter in­to any house, to eat whatsoever is set be­fore them. By this Rule, they may eat flesh in Lent.

They are likewise forbidden, in the same Chapter, to receive money, either personally, or by Proxie: For Pope Ni­colas hath already told us, that to have a Bag, and Money, as Jesus Christ and his Apostles had, is an action of infirmi­ty: but Saint Francis, who had neither Bag nor Money, attained unto greater per­fection.

In the fifth Chapter of the same Rule, Francis d'Assise commands his Monks to labour with their hands, if they are able: But in his Testament he speake more precisely; for he saith, that he himself did labour with his hands; and he adds,

This Command is not observed now a dayes; for the Capucins and Cordeliers who understand a Trade, had rather live in idle beggery by other mens labour: And thus they daily break their Vow, and transgress their Rule.

But above all are remarkable the words of the Tenth Chapter of this Rule, which are these;

St. Francis sayes this, because some Monks are very ignorant, and cannot read. Some such there are now adayes, but not so many as there were in St. Francis's time; whose opinion it is, That no bo­dy needs trouble himself to teach them to read, that so they may be instructed in the holy Scriptures; he had rather [Page 81] they should remain ignorant: Onely he would have them desire the Holy Ghost; not considering, that God gives this Spi­rit to those who are instructed in his Word: For, to desire the Holy Spirit, and yet to neglect the ordinary means whereby the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men, is to shut the door a­gainst him, while we desire him; it is just as if a man should desire to have a Bell rung, without having the Clapper of it moved.

These are the Commands of Francis d'Assise, who is exalted above the Che­rubins that stand before the Throne of God; to the observation of which Com­mands, he promiseth Life Eternal; and by the transgression of them, a man in­curs the indignation of God, and of the Apostles Peter and Paul; but not of St. Philip, and St. Luke. Moreover, here are better and more excellent things proposed, then those which God commands in his Law, viz. Works of Supererogation, which merit a super-eminent degree of Glory, far above the ordinary sort of Saints, who con­tented themselves with doing what God commands.

To this Rule are added the Constitu­tions of the Order; (whereof I have al­ready spoken:) which the Capucins observe more exactly, and with greater obedience then they do the Law of God, and Do­ctrine of the Gospel.

CHAP. XXII. That the Holy Scripture is falsified and wrested in the Rule of St. Francis.

WE have heard before, that St. Bo­naventure saith, That St. Franci [...] had not any science acquired by study; but that he had received the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures by divine inspi­ration. Whether this be true or not, will appear by the passages of Scripture, which Francis d' Assise alledgeth in his Rule.

In the second Chapter, he strictly for­bids the Minor Fryars to forsake the Or­der, but will have them continue in it as long as they live: And that they ought so to do, he proves by a passage of St. Luke, in his Ninth Chapter, Verse 62. where Jesus Christ speaks thus, No man having put his hand to the plough, and look­ing back, is fit for the Kingdome of God. The connexion of this passage with the pre­ceding Verses, shews, that by him who puts his hand to the plough, and looks back, is meant such a one whom Jesus [Page 84] Christ having sent to preach the Gospel, and having undertaken that charge, doth afterwards leave it to serve his worldly oc­casions. Our Lord speaks not of him who hath vowed never to marry, and to wear no shirt, and to live by begging, and to observe humane Rules and Traditions, which ensnare men in unclean lusts, and which are given to God for better works then those commanded in his Law, as if Man would make him a debtor. In a word, to forsake the service of Jesus Christ, and to transgress the Rule of Francis d' As­sise, is, in his opinion, one and the same thing.

In the Ninth Chapter of the same Rule, St. Francis commands the Monks to be brief in their Sermons, Quia verbum ab­breviatum fecit Dominus super terram; that is, Because the Lord made his word short upon earth: Which is a passage taken from the Tenth Chapter of Isaiah, Vers. 23. and from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, Chap. 9, Vers. 28. where is no mention at all made of Sermons or words which men pronounce with their mouthes; but of Gods judgments and punishments, which he hasteneth, and will speedily bring [Page 85] upon men. The divine inspiration given to St. Francis did not (it seems) teach him, that as well in the Old as New Testa­ment, [...]. Verbum is very often taken for Res or Negotium; as in Exodus. Chap. 2. Vers. 14. and Chap. 9. Vers. 5, & 6. and in 1 Sam. Chap. 1. Vers. 4. and Chap. 2. Vers. 6. and in St. Luke, Chap. 1. Vers. 37. and Chap. 2. Vers. 15. and often else­where.

CHAP. XXIII. Of Poverty, and riches.

FRancis d' Assise made profession to be a great lover of Poverty, and com­monly called it his Mistress. In his Rule he speaks thus to his Monks; It is this subli­mity of most lofty poverty (my dear bre­thren) which makes you heires, and Kings of the Kingdom of Heaven, and exalts you in vertues, who are poor in substance: And thereupon he forbids them to possess any thing of all that is under the Sun.

He himself put this Rule in practice. For having a competent estate, he left it all: yea he left his breeches, and the rest of his clothes, and went about stark naked.

As for Poverty in general, many take delight in praysing it; yea, those very persons who shun it; And to extoll it, they say that Jesus Christ was poore: But that serves rather to shew that pover­ty is an evil; for Jesus Christ came into the World to bear our infirmities, and to sustaine our sorrows.

Bellarmine, in the 45. Chapter of his book [Page 87] of the Monks, saith, that Jesus Christ was a begger. To the titles of the Son of God, the Redeemer, the Word, the Wisdom of the Father, nothing was wan­ting to compleat his prayses, but to call him begger: But a man cannot properly be said to be a begger for living by the help and assistance of another.

We may judg of the nature of riches, and poverty by this, (viz.) that God is infinitely rich, and that the Devil is the poorest of all creatures. Jesus Christ saith, that it is better to give then to re­ceive; intimating thereby, that it is bet­ter for a man to give what he hath, then to aske what he hath not; For he that gives, imitates God, who gives alwayes, but receives never. Liberality is alwayes better then indigence: It is more com­mendable to give then to receive an almes. And certainly, he that blames riches as evil in their own nature, blames God, who is the Author of them, and distributes them as it pleaseth him. God oftentimes exhorts his people of Israel to piety by the promises of temporal good things. And Solomon asking of him Wisdom onely, he gave him riches also, without parallel.

St James indeed saith, that God hath chosen the poor; but he adds, that are rich in faith. For the happiness of these Poor consists not in their being poor, but in their being rich in faith. Thus must we understand what Jesus Christ saith in the sixth Chapter of St. Luke, Blessed be ye poor. For that which makes a poor man happy, is not his poverty, but the manner of supporting his poverty. There be rich men that are very vertuous; and poor men that are very wicked, whom poverty excites to theft, murther, perjury, &c. And there­fore Agur, in the Thirtieth Chapter of the Proverbs, desires of God, not to send him poverty. The Soul of poor Lazarus is carried by Angels into the bosom of rich Abraham. So that the poor and rich are put together, to teach us, that rich as well as poor are received into the Kingdom of God, if they fear and serve him according to his word.

It is true indeed, that riches do corrupt many, and serve onely to puff them up with pride, to enflame their lusts, and to divert their hearts from trusting in God, to trust in their riches. And this is the reason why Jesus Christ saith that it is hard for [Page 89] a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God: But this evil proceeds not from riches, but from those that abuse them, into whose lap riches falling are corrupted, as a Crown is defiled that fals into a puddle, and in whose hands the goods of this world are like a sword in the hands of a mad-man. We must not believe that Jesus Christ in the 16th. Chapter of St. Luke calls riches unrighteous, because there is any unrighte­ousness in the possessing of them, or be­cause they are gotten by unrighteous means, but because they are either provocations, or instruments of unrighteousness, to those that are destitute of the fear of God.

CHAP. XXIV. Of the vow of poverty, and of idle begging: Also of works, and satisfactions of super­erogation.

THere are two sorts of poverty: one which God sends, and another to which men do voluntarily devote them­selves without Gods sending it unto them. The former is an affliction, the other is a direct profession, which some choose, as supposing it of great merit, and a work of supererogation. There be some poor, whom God hath reduced to a low estate, wherein they get a slender livelyhood by the labour of their hands: who, if they be contented with their conditions, and by serving God with a pure Conscience, do aspire to better riches, viz. the heaven­ly, they are happy, and beloved of God, and truly rich. There be others, whom God bereaves of their estates for the pro­fession of the Gospel, who, although they have not purposely drawn poverty on them­selves, yet, if they bear this yoke pati­ently and joyfully, esteeming it an ho­nour [Page 91] to bear the Cross of Christ, their pover­ [...]y may be said to be voluntary, because they [...]oluntarily follow the call of God. Of [...]ese Jesus Christ speaks in the ninth [...]hapter of St. Matthew, Who have left [...]ather, mother, wife, children, or lands [...]or his sake; God having reduced them [...]o such a necessity, that they cannot keep [...]heir estates without forsaking the pro­ [...]ession of the Gospel. In this case, [...]e must lay down our very lives, to [...]ive our souls; and must be prodigal of [...]ur estate to be niggardly of our salva­ [...]ion.

But there is an affected poverty, which some embrace, by vow, and without any necessity, or God's obliging of them thereunto; who may keep their estates with a good conscience, but yet had ra­ [...]her leave them to live by other men's estates, and had rather beg than work. This poverty is a yoke which God imposeth not on them, but they impose it on them­selves. They bear not Christ's cross, but their own. They leave the exercise of charity, upon pretence of humility and patience. It may be said, that they are like the fowls of the air, for they sow not, [Page 92] neither do they reap, and yet their fathe [...] the Pope, feeds them plentifully: for w [...] see, that those who have vowed poverty are fat, and plump; and though they ar [...] poor in particular, yet are they rich i [...] common. They get more by begging thou the common people do by working▪ Many turn Monks in spight, or to shak [...] off the yoke of their parents, or in a Me­lancholy and desperate humour, or to de­fraud their creditors, who press hard up­on them, or because they will not take pains to work, or have not wherewith to subsist at home. They turn beggers, that they may not be poor. They are poor by vow, for fear of being so by necessity. Wherefore Bellarmine speaks very grace­fully, [...]h. de Mo­na [...]his cap. 46. secun­da. when he saith, That to these beg­ging Monks belongs that saying of Jesus Christ, in the nineteenth Chapter of St. Matthew, Centuplum accipiet, &c. That is, He shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit eternal life.

But when our adversaries call begging a a work of supererogation, they do there­by acknowledg, that God commands it not. The Prophets, and Apostles never vowed poverty, neither were they beggars. [Page 93] Those of them who were poor, were not [...]o by vow, but by necessity, which God [...]mposed on them. Joh. 21.3. Joh. 19.27. Phil. 4.16 The Apostles had [...]heir Fishing Vessels after our Lords Re­ [...]urrection; And St. John had his house. [...]t. Paul received with thankfulness the re­ [...]ief which the Philippians sent him: Being at Corinth, he got his living by making of Tents, choosing rather to work [...]han to beg; For he well knew, that beg­ [...]ing is a shamefull thing, and that it makes men both idle and impudent. He [...]hat leaves his own estate, to eat ano­ [...]her mans bread, hath no reason to say to God, Give us this day our dayly bread; For God might answer him, I gave thee [...]herewith to buy bread, but thou hast despised it; And now by thy beg­ging, thou takest from them that are [...]eally poor, those Almes which are due [...] them.

And so far is begging from being a work of supererogation, and better then what God commands in his Law, that, [...]n the contrary, God will have us pre­vent it as much as we can, Omnino non erit in­digiens & mendicus inter vos. saying in Deut. chap 15. verse. 4. To the end that there [...]ay be no poor among you. The Hebrew [Page 94] word signifies a Beggar, [...] and the Vulga [...] translation so renders it. Not that it is [...] sin to beg, when a man hath no other wa [...] of subsistence: But God commands, th [...] rich so to relieve the poor, that they ma [...] not be constrained to beg.

The Scripture often speaks of beggin [...] as an evil, and a punishment, yea, a curse In the seven and thirtieth Psalm, Davi [...] saith, I have been young, and now am ol [...] yet have I not seen the righteous forsake [...] nor his seed begging bread. And in th [...] 109. Psalm he makes this imprecation Let his Children be vagabonds, and beg He speaks indeed of involuntary poverty but there is no likelyhood, that that whic [...] is a curse to some, can be a blessing t [...] others; and that which to one is a grievous affliction, can be to another a hol [...] Profession.

As for examples, we have already see the description which Lucian and Apuleius give of the Priests of the Syrian go [...] dess, who did whip themselves, and beg To which we shall adde the Massali [...] Heretiques, Epiphan. haeret. 80. cap. 3. of whom Epiphanius saith they went about begging, as not havin [...] wherewith to subsist, neither possessing an [...] thing.

Examine Antiquity, and try if you can find so much as one example of Monks that made begging a Profession. There was no such thing as a Profession of beggary, for abovte welve hundred years after the na­tivity of our Lord. Camus, Bishop of Bellay, who is yet living, hath written a great book of the labours of Monks; in the Preface whereof you shall find these words; The ulcer of idleness is crept into Monaste­ries, under the name of holy und meritori­ous beggary. His whole book is imploy­ed to prove that Monks should be obliged to labour with their hands, especially those that do not preach, nor have any other painfull employment in the Church: So far is he from placing beggary amongst those pieces of perfection, whereby God is made a debtor to man. And this Pre­late's book bears in its front, the Ap­probation of the Doctors of the faculty of Theologie of Paris. St. Augustine hath writ­ten a book De opere Monachorum, where­in he obligeth them to labor. Epiphanius teacheth the same, in the Heresie of the Massalians; where, he saith, that in all the Monasteries of Egypt, the Monkes did labour with their hands, even as Bees [Page 96] do labor to make hony and wax. In those days the Monks were poor Hermits, living in deserts, labouring with their hands to get their living, and carrying their work­manship to the neighbouring Towns to sell, bought bread with the mony: They did not beg the approbation of their Rule from the Bishop of Rome, for they were not subject to him; In a word, they were not at all like the Monks now adays. The same Epiphanius, in the same book, condemns those that live an idle life, and making a profession of begging, get their bread at rich men's Ta­bles.

But to compleat their wickedness, the mendicant Fryars make begging a work of supererogation, that is, better than what God commands in his Law, and con­sequently, better than to love God with all our hearts, and our neighbour as our selves. God commands us to serve him with all our strength, so that the Monks serve God with more then all their strength, which is impossible. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, David, &c. ne­ver did works of supererogation. The perfection of the Angels consists in obey­ing [Page 97] God, and not in doing more than he commands. Jesus Christ himself came into the world onely to do the will of his Father, and not to do more then his will. Aske the most devout Ca­pucin, if he never commits sin; and he will tell you, that he is a poor sin­ner: How do these things agree? They do not that which God com­mands, and yet will do more then he commands! They fail in necessary things, and yet strive to do things un­necessary, and which God requires not! They do not what they ought, and do what they ought not! They are more holy than God would have them to be!

That man is crack-braind, who exerciseth liberality when he hath not wherewith to pay his debts: If this be so in referrence to men, how much more in reference to God? It is an extream pride, to endeavour to give God overplus, and more then we owe him.

In a word, I would know whether the Monks, when they do works of supererogation, do the will of God, or [Page 98] their own will. If they do the will of God, they are obliged thereunto, and do what they ought: But if, by doing better things then those which God commands, they do their own will, it follows that their will is better than the will of God.

Out of this same shop of pride, come those superabundant satisfactions, where­by the Monks would make us believe, that they suffer more punishment, and do more pennance, then their sinnes deserve, and that the Pope gathers this overplus into his Treasury, and distributes it by his Indulgences in pay­ment for the sins of others. The Monks believe, that by whipping them­selves, by fasting and going bare-foot, they expiate the sinnes of others: Wherefore Bellarmine saith, Bell. lib. 1. de Indul. r. 4. s. sex. that the Saints are, in some sense, our Re­deemers. The Legends of Saint Do­minick and Saint Antonine, say, that Saint Dominick, a grand emulator of the holiness of Saint Francis, lasht himself three times a day with an i­ron chain, viz. Once for his own sins, which were very small, once for the [Page 99] sinnes of the living, and once for the sinnes of those souls which are in Pur­gatory, who (no doubt) received much ease thereby. And it is this same Saint, that once had mercy on the devil: for the devil having transform­ed himself into a Sparrow, and Saint Dominick catching him, contented himself onely with pulling off the fea­thers from his head, whereas it was in his power to have wrung off his neck.

By these things God is blasphe­med: For such things are attributed to God, which if a man should do, he would be accounted either wicked, or mad. For, what Judge would not be accounted unjust, or out of his wits, who should let a malefactor go, because his neighbour hath whipt himself for him? But things which are ridiculous in civil society, are esteemed good in religion; as if a man must lose com­mon sense to augment piety.

All this abuse proceeds from this, viz. that men, utterly destitute of the know­ledg of the holy Scriptures, which are to them a book sealed, and altogether [Page 100] unknown, seek other satisfactions, and other payments for sin, then the death and passion of Jesus Christ. For seeing Jesus Christ hath fully satisfied Gods justice, to what purpose are others satis­factions presented to him? Is not this to accuse God of injustice, to pretend that he takes two payments for one debt, when the first is sufficient? Is it not to dishonour that most perfect satis­faction, which Jesus Christ hath accom­plished for us, to joyn it with the whippings and austerities of Monks; which is just as if a man should mingle coals and diamonds together? For Pope Cle­ment the VI. in his Extravagant Uni­genitus, saith, that the merits of the Vir­gin Mary, and of the other Saints, do help to compleat the treasure of the be­nefits of Jesus Christ; giving us to un­derstand, that the benefits of Jesus Christ make but bare measure; but that the ad­dition of the Saints merits makes heap­ed measure, and is an addition to the mer­rits of Jesus Christ. And for this reason, the Priest in the Mass prays for salvation, not onely through the Saints intercession, but also through their merits.

The Lord God, take pity on so many poor people involved in so many abuses, and discover the deceit of those who, be­ing themselves notorious sinners, do yet by a proud humility think to expiate the sins of others.

CHAP. XXV. Of the Fraternity of the Cord. Printed at Rouen by Tho. Da­ré, in the Jews street, near the Pa­lace, anno 1614. An Ex­tract of a Book, entituled The Trea­sure of the Indulgences of St. Francis 's Cord, translated out of Italian into French: And of the Canonization of St. Francis, and Ignatius de Loyola.

THe Fraternity of St. Francis's Cord, is a Society of superstitiously devout people, both Men and Women, and as well Clergy-men as Lay-men: Into which Fraternity they who enter, are obliged to certain Observations, and for a Badge of the Fraternity wear a Cord, in imitation of the Cord which St. Francis wore, and do participate of all the Merits and Satis­factions of those of the said Fraternity. They who have the least of merit, do, for all that, as really partake of the merits of the others, as if they were their own: They lend their merits to each other; and he that is asleep, or at dinner, partici­pates of the merits of him that whips himself, or of him that turns over the [Page 103] consecrated Beads of his Chaplet seven times.

The Fraternity of Saint Francis's Cord hath great Priviledges, and the Popes have granted it great Indulgences. These pri­viledges have been set down in writing by divers, but especially by Antonio Brugneto, an Italian Observantin Monk, whose very words in the 104. page are these;

The same Author in the 109. page hath these words;

And in the 95. page;

As for the Indulgence granted (as the Minor Fryars say) by Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary, and confirmed by the Pope at Nostre Dame des Anges, called Portiuncula; the Rosary of Bernardin, and the aforesaid book of rhe Indulgences of the Cord, and the Chronicle of St. Francis, say, that St. Francis would not have the Pope's Bull for confirmation of the said Indulgence: For (saith he) I have the glorious Virgin, and Jesus Christ for Notaries, and the Angels for Witnesses. This Indulgence is to be had on the se­cond [Page 106] day of August, whereby every one who hath been confessed, and is contrite, and shall then go into the Church of Nostre Dame des Anges, shall obtaine a plenary absolution both of sin, and punishment. If this same person should go into any other Church with the like or greater contri­tion, he should not have the same Indul­gence. It is worth our notice, that St. Francis obtained this Indulgence of Pope Honorius, by presenting him with three red Roses in the Winter.

But Pope Sixtus the Fifth, who was a Cordelier, hath abundantly heaped up Indulgences, plenary, more plenary, and most plenary, (as they Phrase it) on the Order of the Minor Fryars, and upon the Fraternity of St. Francis's Cord.

But of all these Indulgences, of three, or four hundred thousand years, the Je­suits make little reckoning, and have ne­ver much troubled themselves about pro­curing any of them from the Pope; estee­ming their own Order, although bar­ren in pardons, and Indulgences, better then that of the Minor Fryars.

However, in one respect the Cordeliers, [Page 107] and Capucins surpass the Jesuits, (viz.) in that St. Francis was Canonized by the Pope immediately after his death, with­out the least difficulty: But as for Ignatius Loyola, the founder and Patron of the Jesuits, who dyed Anno Domini 1556, the Jesuits were above seventy years sol­liciting in the Court of Rome, to obtaine from the Pope that he might be put into the number of the Saints; and at last, with great difficulty, obtained his Canoni­zation, seventy years after his death. So long did the sanctity of Ignatius hang in suspence; which, no doubt, was the cause of great trouble, and perplexity to him. However this future Saint, during all this waiting, received some consolation; For, some years before his Canonization he was Beatified, which is a forerunner of Canonization.

At last the Pope having received more clear and certain proofs of the holiness of Ignatius, put him into the Catalogue of the Saints, and ordained that he should be invoked in the Church of Rome; which had not been lawful during those seventy years that past betwixt Ignatius his death and Canonization.

But as in the Chappels, and Colledges of the Jesuits you shall see few Images of St. Francis; so in the Convents, a [...] Churches of the Capucins it is a very rar [...] thing to see the image of St. Ignatiu [...] For the Capucins believe, that St. Franc [...] hath more credit in the Court of heaven and that he is exalted above the Cheru­bins.